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UNITED trlllrfrtllll CORNELIUS VAN OECKELEN, OF NE?? GRK, N. Y.

'VJIND MUSICAL ETSTRUIVENT.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 22,139, dated November 23, 1858.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, CORNELIUS J. van OnoknLnN, of the city, county, and State of lfew York, have invented a new Musical Instrument; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof7 reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reterence marked thereon.

I call my instrument a triolodeonf It is in the form ot the ordinary melodeon and has the capacity of increasing and diminishing'each note independently orn all the others. The agent tor the production of the sounds is the reed in the common nielodeon.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention l describe the same as follows:

It consists ot the following parts: l, the exterior case; 2, the keyboard; 3, the mechanism connected with the keyboard; d, the case of reeds; 5, the air reservoirs; G; the air conductors; 7, the bellows; 8, the sounding` boards.

1. The exterior case.

The exterior oi the instrument is in form of the ordinary melodeon. ln front is the keyboard and below it the opening to work the bellows. rlhe instrument is of the ordinary torni and size.

2. The keg/board.

The keyboard may have a range ot seven octaves or more but the keyboard in ordinary use for melodeons has a range orn only 5 or 5goctaves. Under each key of the keyboard is fixed a screw as in Plate l, g, the lower end of which is connected with the mechanism and which serves at the same time to regulate the keys.

3. The mecha/,msm connected with the keg/- board.

The mechanism connected with the keyboard consists of three rows of valves as in Plate l; o, c; cl. Each of these rows contains as many valves as there are keys in the keyboard.

Under each valve is an aperture from which the air escapes when not prevented by the closing of the valve (Plate l; 7L). Each valve is iitted with a spring to keep it closed communicating its pressure by a movable point (Pl. l, e) in order to avoid friction.

,he and third rows orn valves most closely resemble each other but the second are dil'lerent in torm as in Plate l; c, d. T hose of the first and second rows serve at the same time as levers to open the next connecting' valves respectively and to act upon the apertures to which they are respectively Fitted (see TSlate 1. f.) rhus the crescendos and diminuendos are executed by the pressure of the flnges upon the keys. By touching very lighly, the first valve only opened, which then permits the air to pass from the aperture beneath it and causes only the reed to vibrate which placed under this valve, which reed yields a tone quite soft. ly pressing a little stronger up-on the key, the second valve is also opened by the iirst and then the sound ot the vibration of the second reed is heard together with that or" the first. Finally by pressing the key fully down the second valve opens also the third and then the sound oi the vibration of the three reeds altogether' is lieard. rhe diminuendo is executed in inverse order that is by lightly releasing the pressure or" the lingers from the keys. rlhus each key has so to speak its peculiar pedal so that the performer can shade each note at will each independent ot the other. these means vibrations can be produced such as are heard some times upon the violin by causing the fingers to if'ibrate upon the keys of the keyboard (Plate l; a).

The varying volume of sonno is regulated not only by bringing in to play one or several reeds but still further by varying currents of air as hereinafter described.

.4. T71@ (use of reeds.

rlhe case of reeds a box containing the reeds as in Plate l; z', j; 7e, and is divided horizontally into two parts of which the upper is pierced in its upperside with as many holes as there are valves by which holes the sound produced by the reeds p es. rihese reeds are placed in the interior ot the upper bei; while the valves are over the holes to prevent the air trom escaping until they are opened (Plate l, 7J, C, d.)

. ot reeds is further div'ded internally into three compartments i s in Plate l., Z. m, fr, in which respectively are placed the three rows ot reeds proportioned according to their volume ot sound. Thus the row ot smallest o es is in the smallest compartment.

rthe next in size in the next larger compartment and the third in the largest compart ment.

It is to be understood that each key in the keyboard acts on 3 reeds of dierent power but that each of these reeds has the samernusical value so that the 0X (Plate 3 compartment z') produces the proper sound of the note but sott. The cX in compartment same plate the same note but louder, and the CX in the compartment 7c in the same plate, the same note the loudest of all, and so in like manner as to each key in the. keyboard.

The lower part of the case cont-ains only six valves of leather (Plate 3, 0') and compartments corresponding with those of the upper partof the case; the two parts being joined together (Plate 3, Q) so that the air can neither escape out of the case nor pass from the one compartment into the other. rPhe two valves ot leather in each compartment serve to allow the passage of the air which cornes from the bellows and then close. The two parts ot the case of reeds are united together by screws.

5. The ai?" reservoirs.

To the lower part of the case of reeds are attached three reservoirs (Pl. l, p, g, r) one for each compartment under which springs are placed Varying in force for each reservoir (Pl. 1, t, u, o) to attord pressure of air. Their relative force is l0, l5 and 25 degrees according to the classification of manufacturers of organs. The pressure being l() degrees in the first compartment, in the second it will be l5 degrees and in the third 25 degrees as soon as the air enters. Vhen the air enters and t-he pressure of the air begins, the reservoirs enlarge downward, until the safety valves which are under them touch the bottom open, and allow the air which has become superabundant to escape.

6. The ai?" conductors.

The air enters from the bellows into the case ot reeds by elastic conductors (Pl. 2, a o c, CZ e 7U) which are connected above with the apertures in the bottom of the reservoirs (Pl. 2, e) and below with apertures in the partition between the bellows and conductors (Pl. 2, s). rPhe conductors are elastic so that if the reservoirs descend by reason of the pressure of the air they may bend to leave the passage free to the reservoirs.

7. The bellows.

The air is furnished by six bellows (Pl. 2 g it al', j k Z) combined three and three, (Pl. 2, m) so that three bellows make one division: each bellows in each divison being proportioned in size and power and adapted to one of the three rows of reeds. rPhus there are two divisons, each composed of three bellows, of which one is for the left foot and the other for the right, which operate alternately the bellows.

8. The sounding boards.

In order to mellow the tone of the reeds very thin slabs ot wood are placed under the keyboard and directly above the reeds as also over the third row ot valves (Pl. 4, 71). To vary the tone of the reeds, holes may be pierced in these slabs according to circumstances.

Then the pedals are alternately pressed by the feet. they by means of the levers (Pl. 4, s) cause the bellows to work (Pl. 4, g). The bellows press the air through the conductors (Pl. 4, a) into the reservoirs (Pl. 4, p, Q, r) and thence into the case of reeds vhere it remains conned by the springs (Pl. l, t, fu, 12,) under the reservoirs. Then and by touching the keys the sounds may be produced as already mentioned.

The number of rows of reeds and of valves and the number and combinations of bellows may be varied to suit the constructor wit-hin moderate limits; having due regard to the proper combination of sizes and proportions.

YWhat l claim as my invention and desire to Secure by Letters Patent isl. The application to a musical instruient of several different rows oi reeds, combined in such manner that each key of the instrument can produce several ditferent sounds by causing one or several reeds to vibrate according to the pleasure of the performer, preserving always nevertheless the proper musical expression of the note in the manner substantially above described.

2. The arrangement of the several parts in such an instrument by which the power is obtained of causing each note to vibrate on itseliZ and independently of all the others in the manner substantially above described.

8. The application to a musical instrument; the sounds of which are produced by the vibration of reeds of several rows of valves, so arranged as to act one upon the other and that the valves or" the dilerent rows thus connected can be opened either altogether or only one or more at a time by touching the same key of the instrument at the pleasure of the performer preserving always nevertheless the proper musical eX- pression ot the note in the manner substantially above described.

C. J. VAN OECKELEN.

lNitnesses:

l/VAsH. It. NroHoLs, C. J. VAN OEGKELEN, J r. 

